BCCI to take call on DRS after ICC board’s Cape Town meeting: Thakur

BCCI to take call on DRS after ICC board’s Cape Town meeting: Thakur

Kolkata, Oct 3 (IANS) The Indian cricket board is open to using the Decision Review System (DRS) and would take a final call after the board meeeting of the game’s apex body, the ICC, in Cape Town later this month, BCCI chief Anurag Thakur said here on Monday.

“We have already spoken. If you remember in the Sri Lanka series I made an official statement i that BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is open about DRS. The issue is, is that technology 100 percent? Are you sure about the 100 percent decision making as far as DRS is concerned,” Thakur asked while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the second India-New Zealand Test at the Eden Gardens.

“There were shortcomings and that is why, in the ICC, we have told the cricket committee to look into the DRS and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) was supposed to give a report. Even in our Edinburgh meeting (the ICC annual conference in July) this year, they could not come to a conclusion where they are fully satisfied with the DRS technology.

“I will be attending the Cape Town meeting in the second week of October. We’ll again have to look into the performance of DRS. If that is satisfactory, BCCI is open to use the DRS. It all depends on the outcome of the latest trials and the feedback of the DRS technology,” he said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had earlier this year commissioned the MIT — one of the world’s leading technology institutes — in its bid to zero in on a uniform decision review system. The MIT was asked to give a report by studying the various systems in place around the world like those for edge detection and ball tracking.

Thakur questioned whether the technology, endorsed by India Test captain Virat Kohli before the Eden Test, is an improvement’ on the decisions made by the on-field umpires.

“Improvement is all right. Because if umpires are making 95-97 percent decisions as right decisions, and same you’re getting with DRS then what is the change? So the only issue if not 100 percent then how better than field umpire that has to be seen.”

On how it will be judged, he said: “That Anil Kumble and his team is looking at. That should not be limited to any individual to play with.”

“How it should be fool-proof that is the way to look at it. I think today we have Anil, who heads the ICC cricket committee, and Virat Kohli is the captain and he is a coach. They can discuss among themselves and give the BCCI feedback because we left it to them in the past to come out with various suggestions. After the October meeting we will take a call on that.

Whether the fact that DRS depends on the host broadcaster and not the ICC is a concern, Thakur said, “There are issues which we all are aware of. We are very very open to use it if we are satisfied. There is nothing which is stopping us to use technology and in the 21st century in the digital age you want that to be near perfect if not perfect.”

How, if implemented, would India use the DRS?

“Once you make up your mind that you’re satisfied with the technology, then you can use various things like you want to use in each and every format at home or overseas or anywhere. We are very open about it. It all depends upon team management and our satisfaction.”